Method op fastening artificial teeth



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

A. MERRITT ASAY AND J. LAMBERT ASAY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD OF FSTENING ARTIFICIAL TEETI-I.

Speccaton of Letters Patent No. 27,678, dated April 3, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, A. MERRrrT AsAY and J. LAMBERT AsAY, both of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Fastening Artificial Teeth to Metallic Plates, and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Our invention consists in fastening artiicial teeth to metallic plates by interposing between them a strip of gum and vulcanizing or hardening the same after the teeth have been adjusted to the plate as fully described hereafter. Also in packing with gum the interstices between the teeth and the plate and between the teeth themselves when secured by riveting or any other of the modes at present in use,l and vulcanizing and hardening the packing after it has been adjusted.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to practice our invention we will now proceed to describe the manner in which we carry it into effect.

On reference to the accompanying draw ing which forms a part of this specification. Figure l, is a plan of a block of articial teeth. Fig. 2, a section of the same, and Fig. 3, a plan of the plate to which the block of teeth has to be attached by our improved process.

le prepare a metal plate of the desired form by any of the known processes, and to this plate at the point where the block of teeth has to be secured, we solder or otherwise attach a rib o, which may be a simple projection but which we prefer to make larger on the upper edge than it is near the plate, or the rib may be perforated or serrated, or have a flange on its upper edge. In the block of teeth we form a groove a (Fig. l) to coincide with the rib a of the plate, Fig. 3, the groove being somewhat larger than the rib and dovetailed as seen in the drawing. le place over the rib of metal a (Fig. 3) a strip or sheet of vulcanizable gum, taking care to keep both the 1 block and plate warm. The block is now applied to the plate and pressed tightly against the same so that the rib of the plate may penetrate the groove of the block carrying with it a sufficient quantity of gum to make a tight joint and to fill up all irregularities and interstices. The whole is then placed in a mixture of plaster of paris and whiting and the gum subjected to a vulcanizing or hardening process, when the block of teeth will be found to adhere with the required tenacity to the plate, the interstices in the block and between the block and plate being filled with the vulcanized gum and the joint presenting a. smooth and uniform appearance.

Instead of using the strip a of metal on the plate and the recess in the block, the surface of the plate at the point where the block has to be attached may be chipped or otherwise roughened for receiving the strip of vulcanizable gum although we prefer the use of the rib, as it tends to alford with the gum, a more secure fastening'.

Although we have illustrated and described our invention as applied to the securing of a continuous block of artificial teeth to a plate, it will be evident that sections of a block or single teeth may be secured in the manner and by the process above described.

In securing the teeth to the plates by the usual process of riveting numerous interstices and angular cavities are formed between the teeth and the plate, and between the teeth themselves, these we pack with a vulcanizable gum which is subjected to the hardening process after the packing has been properly adjusted so that all cavities and irregularities are fitted with a durable and immovable packing.

IVe claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. Fastening artificial teeth to a metallic plate by interposing between the said teeth and plate a strip of vulcanizable gum, and vulcanizing or hardening the same, the teeth having been adjusted to the plate as herein set forth.

2. le also claim packing with gum the interstices between the teeth and plate or names to this specication, in the presence between the teeth themselves, when secured of two subscribing witnesses.

to the plate by riveting or any other of the A. MERRITT ASAY. usual modes and vulcanizing or hardening J. LAMBERT ASAY. 5 the packing after it has been adjusted as Witnesses: f

specified. HENRY HowsoN,

In testimony whereof, we have signed our CHARLES D. FREEMAN. 

